1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of making a carton and more particularly to a method of making a composite carton from two or more separate cartons.
2. Background Information
The desirability of packaging goods in cartons that are created from separate individual cartons or that can be separated into individual cartons is known. Typically, such cartons, which will be referred to herein as “composite cartons”, are made using one of two methods. In the first method, a carton blank is constructed having tear lines in predetermined locations. The carton blanks are then folded to create a composite carton, which is filled with product. Tearing the carton along the tear line separates the composite carton into two or more discreet cartons. U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,458 to Gosling, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,291 to Schuster, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,457 to Risucci disclose composite cartons that can be separated into individual cartons by separating the composite carton along a tear line.
A second way in which a composite carton can be constructed is by joining discreet cartons together to produce a composite carton. U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,733 to Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,157 to Graser, U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,796 to Englander et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,268 to Talley et al. disclose composite cartons that are constructed by joining discreet cartons together by various mechanisms.
While these known methods of constructing composite cartons may have some desirable characteristics, there are associated disadvantages. A first disadvantage associated with previous methods of constructing composite cartons is that composite cartons are constructed one at a time along a production line. The significance of this “series” method of constructing composite cartons is that the overall production speed of the associated product may be limited by the speed at which the carton construction machinery operates.
A second significant disadvantage associated with known methods of constructing composite cartons is that such methods construct the composite cartons on the manufacturing line. Thus, once constructed, the composite cartons must be moved along the production line for further processing, such as being filled with products. Once filled, the composite cartons must be moved to a separate location for distribution.
These two disadvantages of known methods of constructing composite cartons are significant because the production speed and hence production output of the product packaged in the composite cartons may be limited by the speed of the machinery used to create the composite cartons or move the composite cartons along the production line, instead of being limited by the production speed of the goods to be packaged therein. Additionally, because the cartons are constructed in series fashion, the carton-producing machinery must be integrated into the manufacturing process and thus the manufacturing process must include an additional step of moving the constructed cartons to a pallet or other mechanism for eventual movement to a distribution area.
As shown by the above discussion, what is needed in the art is a method of constructing composite cartons that does not impede the product production line speed and that reduces the handling requirements necessary to move the filled cartons from the production line to the distribution processes.